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8 Mar 2004 : Column 1360W—continued

School Kitchens

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what earmarked funds are available for refurbishment of school kitchens. [158495]

Mr. Miliband: The only funds specifically earmarked for projects including the refurbishment of school kitchens relate to Voluntary Aided (VA) schools. This results from the reform of liabilities and funding arrangements at VA schools in 2002, when their governing bodies took on responsibility for some buildings (including kitchens) which were previously the responsibility of local education authorities. No other capital funding is earmarked by the Department, most being provided formulaically to support local prioritisation of need.

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School Leavers (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough left school with no qualifications in each of the last five years. [158451]

Mr. Miliband: The following table shows the percentage of pupils in (a) the London Government Office Region and (b) each London local education authority who gained no passes at GCSE/GNVQ for the years 1999 to 2003.

Percentage of pupils gaining no passes at GCSE/GNVQ

Local education authority number/name19992000200120022003
National Average6.05.65.55.45.2
London GOR5.23.94.64.44.7
201 City of London
202 Camden6.95.94.16.14.8
203 Greenwich9.76.97.46.86.5
204 Hackney7.36.86.98.75.1
205 Hammersmith and Fulham4.50.63.92.73.7
206 Islington9.18.311.411.65.2
207 Kensington and Chelsea6.86.73.84.75.6
208 Lambeth4.53.04.53.64.0
209 Lewisham5.36.07.14.35.3
210 Southwark5.32.04.74.45.4
211 Tower Hamlets4.22.43.51.93.9
212 Wandsworth5.03.04.84.27.2
213 Westminster8.45.36.15.94.9
301 Barking and Dagenham5.53.04.97.15.1
302 Barnet6.94.84.84.95.0
303 Bexley3.64.54.53.43.4
304 Brent5.11.53.83.84.1
305 Bromley4.13.43.73.73.5
306 Croydon4.63.24.03.94.7
307 Ealing4.41.51.80.83.4
308 Enfield3.52.93.24.24.5
309 Haringey7.47.07.98.110.0
310 Harrow4.33.33.32.64.3
311 Havering2.63.83.73.73.2
312 Hillingdon6.64.83.85.36.7
313 Hounslow5.44.24.34.54.9
314 Kingston upon Thames5.66.96.08.35.1
315 Merton8.17.46.38.77.8
316 Newham3.50.02.40.62.0
317 Redbridge1.40.82.11.42.2
318 Richmond upon Thames4.24.45.86.63.4
319 Sutton3.23.54.03.33.6
320 Waltham Forest6.76.56.44.86.4

Schools (Funding)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what impact his announcement in respect of financial settlements to local education authorities will have on per capita funding for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools for (i) 2004–05 and for (ii) each local education authority. [159799]

Mr. Miliband: Our proposals to restore stability and certainty to school funding include a guaranteed minimum increase in every school's per pupil funding of 4 per cent. where pupil numbers remain unchanged. All authorities' School Formula Spending Shares are increasing by at least 5 per cent. per pupil in 2004–05. This gives headroom above the guarantee and flexibility to target funds towards schools facing difficulty. Information showing the increase per pupil for all local education authorities in England has been placed in the Libraries. It is for individual authorities to decide how

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funding above the guaranteed minimum increase should be distributed to primary and secondary schools, using their locally agreed funding formulae.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what proportion of (a) leadership incentive, (b) national literacy and numeracy strategy, (c) Key Stage 3 Strategy, (d) ethnic minority achievements, (e) school support staff and (f) information communication technology in schools: infrastructure grants are allocated directly to schools; and on what basis; [159184]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 5 March 2004]: Standards Fund grants are allocated to local education authorities, not directly to schools. For some grants a minimum proportion must be devolved by local education authorities to their schools. The total proportion of the Standards Fund required to be devolved to schools through the Standards Fund in 2003–04 is 83 per cent.

The proportions required to be devolved to schools in 2003–04 for the particular grants referred to are:

GrantProportion required to be devolved (percentage)
Leadership Incentive Grant100
National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies70
Key Stage 3 Strategy66
Ethnic Minority Achievement85
School Support Staff100
Information Communication Technology in Schools:
Infrastructure96

These grants are devolved to schools on the following basis:

Leadership Incentive Grant

£125,000 to each secondary school in Excellence in Cities Areas, Education Action Zones and Excellence Clusters and secondary schools outside those areas where fewer than 30 per cent. of Year-11 pupils attain at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or where more than 35 per cent. of pupils are eligible for free school meals. All schools in receipt of the grant must agree a collaborative plan with their local education authority.

National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies

Grant is allocated to schools based on numbers of pupils and distance to the LEA's 2004 Key Stage 2 targets, KS1 reading and maths results, and the number of teachers attending five day maths courses, literacy priority training and training for Year 3 teachers.

Key Stage 3 Strategy

Allocated to schools to deliver core training and support to schools across the five strands of the Strategy, plus training for the behaviour and attendance programme. The grant also includes an allocation for training, support to schools identified for additional intensive support and schools with leading professionals

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and teachers, and schools whose pupils face the greatest challenge in achieving the standards of learning expected of their age.

Ethnic Minority Achievement

Local education authorities can determine their own formula for allocating this grant to schools, after consultation with the local Schools Forum.

School Support Staff

Local education authorities can determine their own formula for allocating this grant to schools, after consultation with the local Schools Forum.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Schools: Infrastructure

Local education authorities allocate the grant to schools in line with their ICT Development Plan to deliver improved computer:pupil ratios as well as provide a range of equipment and support.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 519W, on funds/grants, if he will make a statement on the purpose of the Condition Funding grant. [159187]

Mr. Miliband: Condition funding was introduce in 2001–02 as a capital grant allocation to all local education authorities for the investment needs of their maintained school buildings as prioritised through the local asset management planning process. It is allocated according to relative need based on condition data provided by all authorities, from a full survey of all their school buildings. It is for capital investment in buildings as defined in the current CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in Great Britain: A Statement of Recommended Practice. Where authorities have satisfactory asset management plans, they have autonomy on how this grant is invested. Further details of this grant can be found in my Department's guidance on the programme which, along with guidance on other capital programmes, can be accessed through www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolscapital. I am arranging for copies of this guidance to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Although Condition funding is allocated according to condition need, we urge all authorities to join up all capital funding streams locally to achieve the greatest impact in raising school standards, and to secure cross-cutting gains and best value for money investment.

From 2004–05, to simplify funding programmes, Condition funding allocation becomes part of the Modernisation formulaic capital funding programme for all authorities.


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